Imperfectly Perfect (Naruto FanFic)

Chapter Eight

I woke up late. Really late. The-sun-is-already-halfway-across-the-sky late. I sat up really fast. Oh, no. Mother is going to kill me. Sensei is going to be so upset I'm late. I raced around the room, getting dressed and throwing my hair into a single bun. Why were there no maids to help me when I needed it?

I rushed downstairs, and there was my mother, working on a small tapestry. "Mother, I'm so sorry I woke up late--"

She held up a hand, interrupting me. "Your Sensei spoke to us last night: you have the day off to rest," Apprehension settles into my stomach.

"And?" I ask, "Did he say anything else?"

She frowned. "He also told us that you haven't been eating. Is this true?"

The embarrassment hits me full force. My face was burning and I felt so judged in front of her eyes. "Yes," I squeak out.

She turns solemn eyes to me. "It's good that you wanted to lose weight, but you're going about it the wrong way," She reprimanded sternly.

I scuff my foot on the ground. "Grandmother was happy about it," I mumbled.

"Speak clearly, Fuzen," My mother ordered. "And don't listen to your Grandmother," My jaw dropped. My own mother, telling me to disobey Grandmother? "She has an... older, harsher perspective on some things. And she's wrong about starving yourself. Lose weight a healthier way: Exercising, eating healthy, and eating less, but not starving yourself,"

I nod numbly. "Good," she muttered. "Now leave. And never embarrass us by fainting for a silly reason like exhaustion ever again."

I nod, staring at her as I back away, dragging myself to my room. I sat on my bed, a little shocked by my lack of work to do. What do you do when you have nothing to do?

I ended up staying in my room all day. I studied ninjutsu, practicing my hand seals. I needed to be fast and precise. I moved onto genjutsu, learning how to influence the mind. Don't always force your victim to see what you want them to see. Sometimes it's more dangerous, and always easier, to let them see what they want to see.

I stayed in my room all day, sometimes studying, sometimes sleeping, but always a little bored.

I skim along the pages of the ninjutsu book, wondering vaguely about what chakra type I have, when I heard a thump followed by a quiet, "Ow!"

I walked to my window, opening it up. Looking to the ground, I laugh. "Did you really just try to jump into my window, and not realize it was closed?" I ask Daisuke incredulously. Shun walked up, clambering inside my window.

"I tried to stop him," he shrugged, glancing around the room as Daisuke climbs in.

"And why didn't you use the door, like normal people?" I ask.

"Normal is boring!" Daisuke pouts on the floor, "And your dad looked scary!" I laugh at his expression, feeling happier now that they'd come to visit me.

"How was your day of rest?" Shun asked, leaning against my bed frame. Daisuke peered up at me from his sprawled position on the floor.

"Fine, I studied a bit, slept a lot. Then I ate out a years supply of Chocolate Senbei," I grin.

Daisuke wrinkles his nose. "Gross," he muttered, "I hate Senbei,"

I looked at him in surprise. "Really, I though you would like them, being a sugary sweet and all," I said in surprise. He makes a face and shakes his head. I shrug. "So, what did you guys do today?" I ask.

"Sensei seemed really upset: He was always getting distracted and muttering. so he ended up letting us go early," Shun says. I frown.

"I wonder what was wrong," I mutter.